Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Jan 14, 2010 1:09 pm I live in south east Qld in a brick home which is raised off the ground about 1/2 - 1 metre with timber floors. Our acreage block is slightly sloping with water running under the house from the front and I can't find where it's getting in. The soil down there is constantly damp or really wet (depending on rain) and as the fall of the land is to the back of the house the wetness is worst near that brick wall. Any checks I should be looking for and also what sort of tradesman should I call to fix it? The back rooms always smell damp, clothes get mildew and the paint on the exterior brickwork is flaking in some areas. Please help! Thanks. Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 2Jan 14, 2010 7:21 pm Not an expert, but I'll give it a go. Could you install some drainage 'trenches' in front of the house (similar to what they do for garages) ?? Or create 2 levels in the front yard and put some nice (and really deep ) retaining walls ?? BTW, some years ago, the south-east corner walls of our garage (brick house) was suffering from rising damp. The internal walls had water marks. I went outside and cleared away a small layer of soil (about 1 - 1.5 brick high, max) on that area where the water marks were internally. Too easy - no more rising damp !! (but I realise your problem might be "a bit" bigger). My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 3Jan 16, 2010 4:51 pm An approved water proofing contractor Lex is now the expert... only joking lex good try, but too much water for retaing walls and drainage such as the following would be needed anyway. See if I have anything to offer. A deep culvert diverting the ground water filled with drainage media (bluemetal) to take ground runoff as well 1 side or either side or both sides of your house if you want ponds (redclaw grow well your way). But in all honesty you need to have much more detail to actually make any chance of a good outcome. interoz I live in south east Qld in a brick home which is raised off the ground about 1/2 - 1 metre with timber floors. Our acreage block is slightly sloping with water running under the house from the front and I can't find where it's getting in. The soil down there is constantly damp or really wet (depending on rain) and as the fall of the land is to the back of the house the wetness is worst near that brick wall. Any checks I should be looking for and also what sort of tradesman should I call to fix it? The back rooms always smell damp, clothes get mildew and the paint on the exterior brickwork is flaking in some areas. Please help! Thanks. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 4Jan 17, 2010 9:36 am Ah yeah, onc, still not the expert, but that was the idea - to basicaly install some good drainage - something along the lines 'get a good trench&piping to capture the water and then possibly divert it onto the 'stormwater/street/wherever it needs to go'. Or, depending on the exact situation/need, install some good retaining walls (or even together with the piping, as an extra measure - it depends). This is of course in plain language ... couldn't (and wouldn't) even try to compete with the more specialised language and terminology used by real experts I suppose getting a drainage expert/engineer to inspect and advise wouldn't be a bad idea either, as I believe the rectification would also depend on site levels and other factors unknown to myself ... She/he (need to stay politically correct ) would also need to advise on how far from the house to install whatever you decide to install. Anyway, interoz, any plans yet? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 5Jan 17, 2010 10:24 am This might help for some visual guidance http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa/tab-l ... s/#videos3 In particular http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa/tab-l ... ising-Damp Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 6Jan 17, 2010 10:43 am Great stuff!! Scanned this second one (super fast and at random) and managed to notice this: "Ensure that all below ground surfaces are sealed with a waterproof membrane", so it triggered a question. In some places, our vapour barrier (the black plastic under the slab) is a few centimeters short of the outer formworks (timber planks that hold the concrete). So, obviously the outer wall of the slab rebate is fully sitting in the ground, with no plastic to protect it. The wall is partially below ground. Question: Should we seal the edges of the slab rebate after handover, and if yes with what? If yes, should we expose the whole of the rebate wall so we can get good access, seal it, and then burry it back as it was? Sorry, a complete amateur My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 7Jan 17, 2010 2:54 pm Parging = to parge, lex more technical terms The slab edge will be parged before handover, or should be. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 8Jan 18, 2010 5:59 pm Hi guys, thank you so much for all your valuable help. I have been under the house (I'm a girl and I hate that damp, dark place) and taken photographs to try to see for myself what's going on under there. As you can see the water has been so bad it has created gulley's and it's still very very muddy down there although we have had 32c days and no rain for nearly 2 weeks. Sorry I tried to attach some pics but a notice came up saying "sorry, the board attacment quota has been reached" whatever that means. I'm going back in tomorrow to see if may there is a leak in one of the pipes. BTW we have raised gardens in front of the house which I though should stop the water getting in? Anyway, I'll get back to you after I've had a look at the pipes. Thanks so much again, Interoz Re: Drainage Problems Causing Rising Damp? 9Jan 18, 2010 6:36 pm That is a great link Fu! I would like to point out that there are many causes of rising damp. Not all are as simple to fix, ...but harder still is finding the problem before tackling the symptom. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Have look at your house plans and you will probably find that brick articulation joint has been missed. 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